Hey everyone, I’m building a 57 Big back window 3100. The frame was purchased separate from the rest of the body. How do I know what year frame I have so I can buy the right brake lines. Any help would be awesome.
Thank you
Scott
Last edited by chevytruckdaddy; 03/18/20191:10 PM.
Look on the top of the frame rail 4-6 inches in front of the steering box for some numbers. I’m not educated on just what year GM started putting numbers on the frames but it was around that time period. If you find numbers post them here for help. Good luck.ðŸ›
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
Pictures and some dimensions should narrow it down. Do you you have the gm hertitage package for your year? Linked through stovebolt. Frame diagramz and dimensions within.
~ HB 1966 Chevrolet K-10 | Ghost: formerly Flappy Fenders | In the Stovebolt Gallery 1962 Chevrolet C10 1962 Suburban
The frames were stamped on TF. The frame stamp was the same as the VIN except the prefix was not included. Your stamp is very near a 1959 Vin.
1. As HB has said, there are many ways to determine what era the frame is. Internet pics, shop manual drawings and dimensions. Ebay chassis for sale, lots of ways. Including if the body fits the cab mounting and all of the other features fit. It's not that hard. The 55.2-59 1/2T frames are all the same. Just that there are short bed, long bed and panel/burb slight differences.
2. Clean the frame again and be sure that is a "2" before the 59. If it is just a gouge or stamp tool edge, then you have a 1959 frame. So 59B12331 would be the typical frame number for a 55.2-59 truck. 1959/Baltimore plant/unit number. The frame can be stamped in more than one place.
3. If your state checks the cab VIN with the frame stamp, you could have problems.
4. Buying the right brake lines is definitely not a big worry. You can plumb them with pre flared straight pieces or bulk line, a tube bender and flare tool.
"6. The info that Tim provided, and I have seen other places, is unknown as to actual origin and is ambiguous. It seems to be from one of the standards department. It does not seem to show a frame stamp. The frames were stamped." bartamos
What information/documentation that I posted is of questionable origin and what is the ambiguity?
Is there information in any Task Force Truck Shop Manual about a "frame stamp" of an ID? I can find no information in the "Model Designations/ Unit Number Location" page in any Task Force Shop Manual. Maybe that information is provided elsewhere in the Shop Manual?
Does anyone have any GM documentation regarding an ID being placed by GM on a Task Force frame? I like to provide links to GM documentation.
Tim, very sorry. I was editing when you posted. I did not want to get into it that deep for this poster. So I rewrote my post. Please read my post again.
But to clarify why I initially said: The part I wrote about ambiguous link is in regards to your first link showing the top view of a generic truck chassis. For some unknown reason GM did not mention the frame stamp. So using this picture, even though from a GM standards dept., is either ambiguous or misleading to a poster. The frames were, in fact, stamped as per my edited post. I do not know of any documentation. It has been said it was a secret. I don't know if that is true but let's let the secret out. I believe they were stamped in more than one place. Which is so odd that it leads me to believe they actually were trying to begin anti-theft measures in secret. All of my many TF trucks were stamped on top of the driver frame rail, near the ebrake bracket and possibly other places under the cab.
Some of this info comes from Bill (flxible) who is a real expert/conservator/documenter of TF trucks, apples and other social redeeming subjects.
I watched an interesting episode of Graveyard Cars (hate that show!) where the factory had erred - the car's windshield VIN had inadvertently missed a "J" which was on the body-frame stamps. Instead of the prescribed 13 digits from Plymouth, it had only 12.
Wow, Thank you everyone for sharing your knowledge. I truley appreciate your time and dedication to answering my question. As always I’ve come away with the answer I was looking for and a Truck Load on knowledge.
Mike, I don't believe there would be a 2 for 2nd series. The stamp was indeed an identification number as I explained. It WAS the VIN without the "3A", "3B", etc. He is building a 57. I assume that is the cab. He does not know what the frame is. There is no reason to think it's a 55 frame.
Yes, good point, the frame is about 2" longer in front regardless of long bed/short bed. If he has a 59 frame and 57 sheet metal, he can cut it back and everything fits. It was just for the front splash pan. The bumper mounting holes will need redrilled after cut. All sheet metal will fit. Hood hinge holes in firewall may need massaged/adapted.
I don't know what pieces/clip he has. Don't know the frame yet either. I hope he reports his recheck of the frame stamp. "2"
Mike, I don't believe there would be a 2 for 2nd series. The stamp was indeed an identification number as I explained. It WAS the VIN without the "3A", "3B", etc.
1955 first series used "55" to ID the year, so when the second series trucks were produced they needed a way to tell the two series apart, so they added the "2" in front of the "55" for the second series year code. It's the only TF year to use 3 digits ahead of the plant code, the rest were just 56, 57, 58 & 59. Scroll down to page 6 on this link...
I think we're almost saying the same thing. The frame stamped number only included the year, plant and unit number, it never had the engine, series or wheel base codes. which are all needed for the complete vehicle serial number to be used for registration or title purposes. So, yes, it's a partial identification number, just not the complete number...
So the "9" is not a "9". Could be a 5. I think we lost him anyway? That would be good for him to be a 1955. No mods needed. I didn't know that about 1955 stamp. Good thinking.
Thanks Scott. Don't clean it with a wire brush. Just gas and a tooth brush. Dry it out and shine a light at extreme angles across the face of the numbers. It could be stamped in two other places. Under the cab, both sides, etc.
To attach photos you will have to use a device other than your phone. Instructions are shown in the left margin of EVERY page. We made it easy. Everybody, even me, can do it.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
Good to know. I knew admin was working on being able to post photos from phones. Good deal.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
https://share.icloud.com/photos/07rBMfeBB0TzNp2N6tX0VzGFQ If you would just take several pics, with a wider view, of the frame near and around the number, we can tell what frame it is. At least we can confirm TF. Show us the Ebrake bracket, front of frame, cab mount bracket, steering box, springs, steering, suspension, master cylinder............ANYTHING! Pics pics pics pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This number does not make since right now. It does not really matter what it's all about. What matters is to determine if the frame is a TF. You should have been able to search and decide that already. We are getting focused on this number TOO MUCH!!!!!!! FORGET THE NUMBER. It's our fault, we focused you on the number. The number does not matter. It's not your VIN. Once we know it is a TF frame, long bed or short bed, 55-57 or 58-59 we can blog all day on why the number is the number. I just want to answer your question which is the wrong question. If you are buying pre-made you just need the era and bed length of the frame.. Like I said, if you are making up your own brakes, you don't need to know anything. So are you buying brake lines? If so, where are you going to buy them? The sets are $150-$170 range. Steel or SS. We know the cab is for a 1/2T short bed step side. You can put that cab on any frame you want if it passes DMV. You can put any bed on it you want. Very sorry about all this confusing chatter between us all. We get interested and go off on things like that number. Lets get you back to what you need to know without the number. I must mention that HB told you way back to measure and search and observe on the internet to determine frame era/model. I said the same thing in my first post. You have not reported that you have done that. Your pics and reported observations will solve this.
BTW, you are allowed to attach up to 5 photos to each post.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
57 cab, 58-59 short bed and a 59 short bed chassis. All fits nicely I guess. So you order a short bed 59 3100 tube kit. So what is the question? Since you are making a short bed out of a long bed chassis and are cutting off the front for the 57 clip, it probably does not matter what brake kit you get. Don't think the extra horn length factors into the tubes. Call the vendor and explain whet you are doing and see what they say.
Yes, Get the dimension from a 57 truck from the front spring hanger bolt to end of horn. Get it from three sources before cutting.........or your own measurements from a car show or meet or one you see somewhere.
Assy Manual says 9.48 from end of horn to center line of radiator bracket. Not sure what year yet. Still checking. 178.05 over all frame length for short bed. Drawings dates Dec 54 and Jan 55. Last revisions 1-26-55. So they are not 58-59 frame dims. That mans they are the dimensions you want. Confirm by some other method as stated above. If these dimensions give a cut off of 2"-3", that's pretty good confirmation. If not, let me know.
I believe they were stamped in more than one place. Which is so odd that it leads me to believe they actually were trying to begin anti-theft measures in secret.